Sufism in Britain

Ron Geaves is Professor of the Comparative Study of Religion at Liverpool Hope University, UK. Theodore Gabriel is Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Gloucestershire, UK, and Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the Bader International Study Centre of Queen’s University (Canada), at Hailsham, UK.

• PART 1: Theory1. Expressions of Spirituality in Islam: Unity and diversity in Sufi thought and practiceTheodore Gabriel and Ron Geaves2. Transformation and Trends among British SufisRon Geaves3. Universal Sufis in the UK: Sufism for Everyone?Roy JacksonPART II: History 4. Shaykh Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi, the ‘Alawi Tariqa and British-YemenisMohammad S Seddon, 5. Sufism in Britain: The Da‘wa of Shaykh ‘Abdalqadir as-SufiYasin Dutton6. The One or the Many? Transnational Sufism and Locality in the British BudshishiyyaMarta Dominguez-Diaz7. Conversion Narratives among the Alami and Rifa’i Tariqa in BritainJulianne HazenPART III: Case Studies8. Online Sufism – Young British Muslims, their internet ‘selves’ and virtual realitySariya Cheruvallil-Contractor9. The Rise of the “Traditional Islam” Network(s): Neo-Sufism and British Muslim YouthSadek Hamid10. What is the Naqshbandi-Haqqani tariqa? Notes on Developments and a Critique of TypologiesSimon Stjernholm11. Reliving the ‘Classical Islam’: emergence and working of the Minhajul Quran movement in the UKAmer Morgahi12. “Ours is not a caravan of despair”:the influence and presence of the Turkish Sunni Nurcu Movement of Hojaeffendi Fethullah Gülen in the UKIan G. WilliamsNotesBibliographyIndex

In this excellent volume experienced contributors present a nuanced picture of Sufism in England. They describe its engagement with classical culture and with modern Salafi and Wahhabi teachings, emerging as its own unique, contemporary and thoroughly Islamic phenomenon. A special treat for those interested in the adaptation of Islam to modern Western society, the volume offers an opportunity to better understand both the spiritual dimension and the lived circumstances of Sufism in Britain today.